


Trampolines and Damaged Hearts

by MidnightPoison



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Angst, Depression, Fluff, M/M, Past Abuse, Social Anxiety
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-30
Updated: 2013-12-04
Packaged: 2017-12-16 15:02:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/863351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightPoison/pseuds/MidnightPoison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank Iero is a 21 year old college drop out that has just gotten out of a long-term abusive relationship and is just trying to forget and fit in.</p><p>Gerard Way is a 25 year old art school grad sleeping in his mothers basement and looking for no reason to change.</p><p>Shit happens.</p><p>(Loosely based from "Trampoline" by Never Shout Never)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

Meet Frank  
Walking to work was seldom eventful, just another part of my day that I never thought about. I never took it upon myself to wonder what would happen if I were to take the bus, or save up to buy a car. I liked my daily routine mostly for the fact it was structure. Coming from spending three years of my life without any sort of consistency, except for the beatings, structure made me strong in a way I could never explain. It helped keep the memories at bay, always keeping my mind busy and knowing exactly what was happening. For whatever reason that particular Thursday morning it rained harder than I had ever seen it, forcing me to take the bus. The bus stop is where I saw the man with the jet black hair and hazel eyes smiling at me, and I found myself smiling back. I didn't like change, but maybe…it might like me.

Meet Gerard  
“Gerard get your lazy ass up”  
Maybe if I do nothing he’ll leave.  
“Gee come on”  
He is so damn persistent.  
“I'm so serious man you’re gonna be late for your interview”  
Oh my god, that’s today isn't it. Maybe I should say something witty.  
“5 more minutes Ma”  
“In what universe do I sound like- Okay that’s it”  
The fall to the floor wasn't too shocking, considering its Mikey .There were weeks of dirty clothes all over it which made it kind of pleasant down there. He can tell. Now is when he goes for the- yup and the blankets gone. This life is so cruel.  
“Mikey don’t make your big brother go, what if I pay you?” I would be lucky if he went for it. “You don’t have any money genius, that’s why you need this job, now, get your lazy ass up” He sounded very annoyed. Guess I better get up. I opened my eyes and hey its raining. “But Mikes its raining.” Oh and there's the bitch face, he does it so well. “Yes I am aware, you’re taking the bus.” The bus, he was insane. This is freaking Jersey doesn't he know what will happen to a guy with eyeliner and all black clothes on the bus. “Are you serious im gonna get shanked” He must understand this, he has to. “No you’re not because you will be wearing this” he picks up- oh my god does he really want me to wear that- a blue button up shirt and dress pants. I'm gonna look like a clown. “Now take this, get dressed and get going.” He hands me a cup of coffee and like that he’s gone. Damn, where did that kid get his attitude? Getting the monkey suit on isn't the most pleasant thing, and as I look in the mirror, i cant help but stare, I dont even look like me. I'm not even sure I want this job, I mean, being some guys slave doesn't sound very fun. It’s a perk that it’s an art gallery but I doubt they would want some emo assistants work. Walking to the bus stop I ponder going back to the house and enjoying a smoke, hell maybe watch Breakfast at Tiffanys. I'm glad I didn't though… because then I never would have met the boy with the beautiful tattoos. 

Frank POV

He has such a nice smile, with these tiny teeth that poke out and the way his eyes light up. I can’t help but look at his grown out, obviously-dyed black hair, his out of place tie with a button down shirt and dress pants, he doesn't belong in that and you can tell. I see a bit of eyeliner, probably in from the night before. He looks up into my eyes, I think I’ve stared to long. ‘Oh no you've ruined it,’ I think ‘Now he’s probably wondering why you’re such a creep.’ Why do I do this to myself, I can’t even smile at a stranger without over analyzing things. This is all his fault, if it wasn't for him I never would've gotten this way, I would be able to trust people enough to get into a relationship. I could move out of my mothers house, I could go back to school. I could- the bus pulls up then, filled with sketchy looking people and business men and women. I wonder how they can all be next to each other so easily, I bet they don’t worry about stupid things. I wish I was like them. I take one of the only two empty seats, the other one is right next to it, and before I know the beautiful black haired man is sitting next to me, with that warm smile. This is what happens when you change your routine, things happen.

Gerard POV

I can’t help but feel him staring at me, but it’s not a bad thing.. at all. He is very cute, like a lost puppy that needs to be cuddled. I look up at him, just to make sure I’m right and yup there are those big eyes looking at me for a split second before turning back to the ground. I could’ve sworn I saw a hint of terror and can’t help wonder why. I mean, he certainly doesn't thing that he’s going to get his ass kicked by a 25 year old emo kid in a tie right? I cant help but sneak a peek when he isn't looking, he’s quite short with a stocky build, and from what I can see covered in tattoos (which is pretty hot), his hair is long, not as long as mine but hey, I'm borderline a woman. He looks so….sad, and lost in thought. God I really want to give this guy a hug. Now the bus is pulling up and I swear he practically flies on the damned thing, quickly sitting in one of the last empty seats and shit, the only other one is right next to him. As I sit down and smile at him, he stiffens and then attempts to smile back, which even though awkward, is pretty fucking cute. I dont know i can tell but this guy is something special


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow okay... Three things that i should address.First of all, i ended up taking a bit of a hiatus. In case anyone who originally read chapter one still cares (or remembers), this story is not being abandoned and never will be. Second, this may or may not be my last hiatus. Im not the most regular at posting and sometimes I really have no creativity what-so-ever. Third, The chapters are fairly short but will be lengthening as i get more into the story. Now, enjoy the chapter!  
> ~xomdnght

If I had ever thought of a perfect looking human, I still don’t think I could have ever imagined someone as striking as him. I knew I was being creepy. Staring at every little feature when he wasn’t paying attention. I was in a trance for that entire 15 minute ride into the city. I couldn’t think about what I should eat for lunch, or how many people I might have to encounter today. I couldn’t even worry about having a stranger stop and ask me for directions. All I thought about was his face. How his nose was slanted straight up, how his cheeks were perfectly round. He almost looked like a child, but his eyes looked aged. He had no wrinkles, his brows didn’t furrow, no signs of actual age. It was how he stared into the back of the seat in front of him, like it held the answers to the universe. I wanted to know him. To say hello, and ask how his morning was going. I never wanted that from any other person I had never said a word to. That was my dilemma for that ride. Why do I find him so intriguing? When my stop is called I get up, and surprisingly he does too. Its not necessarily peculiar, he’s in a suit, so why wouldn’t he work where all the formal business are? I go to the right, and he goes to the left. I want to know him more than I want my next breath.

Efforas store isn’t very far from the stop, so I arrive on time. There’s no one in there yet, which is usual. She comes out from the back with a large box in her hands.  
“Care to help Frankie?” She says snidely. I stick my tongue out while grabbing the box from her hands, and start putting the shirts on shelves.

She stands next to me and takes a sip of her chocolate milk. She’s a firm believer in calcium. “So I’m guessing you took the bus today, judging by your dryness .” I nod, letting her know today is a quiet frank day. The thing about me and Effora is that we’ve known each other for pretty much ever. In elementary school I was picked on for being short, so she kicked anyones ass who messed with me. In middle school her parents got divorced, and I would stay up all night on the phone with her while she cried. In high school, I finally came out. She was the only friend who stood by me, but im pretty sure its because she had known longer than I had. 

She helped me get away from him.

Somehow it managed to rain the entire day. I couldn’t even go outside for a smoke, and when I tried to smoke one in the restroom she yelled at me.  
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing man? Do you want this place to reek of smoke as much as you do? Do you want to get lung cancer! Do you want me to get lung cancer!? I bet your lungs are as cloudy as Woodstock!” after her little rant I suddenly wasn’t in the mood for one. 

The rainy weather was like a customer repellent, so I hung out in the front with her. It felt so nice not to haul myself up into a little room. We talked almost the whole day. Well, she talked about how her boyfriend was being distant and I listened. I felt really bad for her, she’s an amazing person. She doesn’t deserve someone as cold as Mikey. He was a nice guy I guess, but seemed emotionless. If I didn’t know better I would swear he was made of stone or something. Why girls always go for the quiet angry looking type is beyond me.

Suddenly she said something to put me out of my thoughts.

“So…. Mikey has a brother about our age. I know you aren’t looking for anything, but hes really sweet an-”

“Fee... not again” I sighed “ Is it really necessary that every time you meet a “nice guy” you automatically think you have the right to play cupid?” It came off with an unintentional harshness but I couldn’t help it. “Im just- Im not ready for anything yet, I can barely order my food at a restaurant.”  
She knew. I had told her this so many times. I saw it in her eyes, every time I rejected her a little piece of hope died. The hope that we could go on trips to the beach with our perfect boyfriends. Double dates mini golfing, just plain fun with someone beside me.

But that didn’t happen this time.

“I know Frankie, I’ve gotten your little speech a million times” She stretched the word million out, and.. winked at me? “But this one is different” 

 

I stood outside a normal looking house. One story, a couple trees outside, and a chipped white painted porch swing. Effora stood next to me, and was pushing my body towards it. Grass was being pulled up by my feet. I think a couple of mushrooms got the death penalty too.  
“Frank, you agreed to this, remember? It was only two days ago.” She looked annoyed, it was understandable. I just don’t know how she had convinced me to go to the notorious house of mikeyway (apparently everyone just merged his first and last name together) for horror movies and Chinese food, with a special guest appearance by his brother. Who Effora was sure would be the one who brought me out of my depression, my nightmares, and my general fear and hate of life. She believed love was the cure for everything. That all I needed was someone to love. Wasn’t love what got me into this mess? Didn’t it tell me everything was going to be okay, then burn away everything life had me strive for? Love was something I didn’t want to be a part of, I didn’t want to see it or have it. Why couldn’t she understand that?

She had managed to push me to the door step. Its times like this I wish she wasn’t 4 inches and 20 pounds bigger than me (though im pretty sure most of the weight is boob). “Okay Frankie,” she said “ time to face the music” and rung the fucking doorbell.

And a very cute, slightly chubby face answered.

A very cute, slightly chubby, familiar, face answered.

It was the boy from the bus, the face I wanted to know. The face that intrigued me, and captured me. The face I saw two days ago. That still wasn’t out of my head. There he was, possibly having the same reaction I was. Or wondering why a short, tattooed kid with messy hair was standing on his brothers porch next to some curvy punk chick who his brother was dating. Both are reasonable, but im secretly hoping for the first choice. 

“Hi I’m Gerard” he smiles and ushers us in “Mikes should be down in a sec, you know gals and their hair business” he smiled at Effora and she smiled back. They very quickly got into a conversation about punk bands. 

All I did was stand there, shocked by how this person was so normal. At the same time, he seemed like the most amazing and abnormal person I have ever met. He also had a very nice name, and I really liked names. Its one of the reasons I had wanted to be Effora’s friend back when I could barely tie my shoes. She had a weird name. So does Gerard, and that is one of the reasons why when he shook my hand and asked “Frank, right?”

I smiled and said “Yeah”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so again... i take forever to post, and if you care, i am sorry. Anyway this chapter is incredibly short but personally i think its pretty good. Longer chapters and something interesting are happening soon! i promise.
> 
> -x0mdnght

But after the “Yeah” there was nothing. Just me smiling like a doofus, and him waiting for me to say something else, but instead I stood there. Until he decided this was too awkward and asked if we wanted a pop tart or something. “That would be awesome” Fee said, while I just nodded my head and sat on the couch.  
When he came back from the kitchen with two metallic packages, they decided it would be best to start a debate.

He was probably the cutest boy ever. The way he talked completely enticed me. Even if it was about how he believed pop tarts were best served straight from the package. Fee had a different opinion on the matter though, which caused this, and I don’t think anyone could have taken seriously.  
“Theres a reason its called a POP tart genius, its meant to POP out of a toaster!”  
“Oh really? Who are we to decode the meaning of its name? Did you create the glorious pop tart? Do you know the inventor of the pop tart?”  
It continued like that for about 10 minutes, with me letting out a chuckle once and a while. That resulted in a death glare from Fee. I honestly thought they were about to bring a pop tart to life and ask its opinion on the matter when Mikey finally came downstairs (with perfect hair of course).

“Oh god what are you guys fighting about?” He asked.

Fee gave him her sweetest smile “We’re not fighting about anything dude, just a discussion”  
“Okay then-“ He turned to me “Hey Frank, nice to see you again. Hows it goin?” 

“Good” I replied. Mikey was nice but he just, he always had the same facial expression and that was pretty creepy. It was crazy that this guy shared the same blood as Gerard, the guy who just spent the past fifteen minutes getting way to philosophical about pop tarts. I never really thought in a million years I would ever see someone do that. It was fantastic.  
“So” mikeyway said “I know I promised zombies and shitty food, but theres this super awesome local band playing tonight, and I think it might be a little more fun than just staying here” 

I looked at Fee, and Gerard looked at Mikey the way I imagined I was looking as well. I guessed we both aren’t very social.  
“Hell yeah!” Fee said “That sounds fucking rad, you’re okay with it right Frank?”. The look in her eyes told me that I would be given the silent treatment if I said no. A part of me didn’t want to go, and was terrified of all the people. Yet, there was a less chicken shit part of me that said ‘Who cares!? Whens the last time you went to a show? With your best friend? And a very cute guy!?’.   
In the end, the latter won.  
(Though I don’t think I had a choice)

Even though I said I didn’t have a choice, I knew I made the ‘right one’ when Mikey suggested we take his car to and back, so we could have a designated driver for all of us. Im pretty sure he looked at Gerard when he said it though. Which made him get a sad puppy dog look in his eyes and that sort of made my heart hurt.  
“Shot gun!” Fee yelled. Since he was driving, Gerard and I were put in the backseat of a two door car. Meaning I got a little to close, but that wasn’t really a bad thing until the younger Way decided to do a seatbelt check. In which Gerard flew head first into my crotch.

Making his and my own eyes fly wide open.

“I am so sorry” He said with a blush slightly painting his cheeks. (Im getting slightly too poetic about the whole thing though). I tried to say something slightly cool. Like ‘No worries man’ or a laid back ‘whatever’, but since the universe hates me, I made a noise similar to a stuttered ‘oh’ and ‘uh’ combined.

The rest of the drive was spent in awkward silence on our end.


End file.
